Apparatus for raising sunken vessels.



To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WALTER C. BECK- wrrH, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at. Eostoria, in the county of Seneca and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements'in Apparatus for Raising Sunken Vessels; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of'the invention, such as. will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to an apparatus for raising sunken vessels and its object is to provide, for the indicated purpose, an efiicient means of great power and easy control.

To these ends my invention consists of the devices and construction hereinafter described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an end-view of my apparatus with parts broken away to disclose certain portion of the gears hereinafter mentioned, and Fig. 2, a top plan-view of the same with the roof shown in Fig. I removed, and with parts broken away to show portions of the gearing hereinafter referred to.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts throughout the drawings.

' being disposed end to end and in alinement.

The pontoons are of metal, are air-tight and are collectively of greater buoyancy than the object to be floated. Each of the pontoons is provided with an axial shaft, 2, upon the projecting ends of which are mounted and supported a stout framework 3 elevated above the water-line of the pontoons and extending across the space intervening between them. The journaled con-' nections between the pontoons and their connecting frame permits the rotation of the pontoons. The framework 3 carries a deck 3 upon which are hoisting engines 4;

1 Specification of Letters Patent.

p v 1 APPARATUS FonRAIsnvG sunKEn'vEssELs.

ncense. 1 Applicationfiled octoter 19,1917. Serial No. 197,392.

Patented u e-aisle.

versible. A "boiler andsteam connections for the engines are provided andneednot sprocket-chain. 9 which in turn drives a sprocket-wheel 10 fixed upon or rigidly connected with the end of its pontoon. Upon each shaft 2 is a Windlass or drum 11 upon which is wound a chain or cable which is engaged, by means of any suitable fastening device, with the vessel to be raised. Each sprocket-wheel 10 is provided with a ratchet-wheel 12 and a pawl 13, under the control of the operator through rods and levers 14, by means of which the drumsmay be held against accidental unwinding. This mishap is also guarded against by the wormgears 67, but it will be understood that should it become necessary to pay out either cable 15 from its drum 11 in order to keep the submerged vessel on an even keel, this may be done by disengaging the pawl from its ratchet and by reversing the engine 4.

Through the deck of the structure is a large opening 16 giving access to the water and to the work between the pontoons.

The operation of my apparatus is as follows: The cables 15 being engaged with the sunken vessel at its opposite sides, with the pontoons disposed parallel with the sunken vessel and on opposite sides thereof, the engines are set in motion. Now through the worm-gear and the sprockets the pontoons are caused to rotate, carrying with them the windlasses 11 thus slowly but powerfully winding the cables upon the windlasses, and thus gradually lifting the sunken vessel to or near the surface so that the apparatus with its burden may be maneuvered into location and position for the convenient and final salvage of the vessel.

The construction illustrated in the drawings and described herein are given merely as one form of embodiment of my invention. Therefore do not limit myself strictly to the mechanical details and relation of parts as shown since manifestly the same can be varied considerably without departing from the spirit of my invention as defined in the followin claims. For example, the sprocket-whee which carries of any preferred type and, preferably, re-

the dru'm ll andthe-ratchet l 2 ma=y be made loose upon its'shaft instead of being secured to the pontoonl'lfthough l prefer the arrangement already described, in which the momentum of the turning-gpontcons maywbe made available.

/ a I-laving described. my inventiqn, wlnati I- perstm wre carried: by? said shafts and which 11' --ratefl e1 at'itn; drums on 'said 'prctrudin tions-betWeenthe driving means and the drums for actuating the drums.

2, devicecf the described character which includes in its construction a pair of cylindrical: pcntoons, a superstructure carried by the pontoons and which holds the ontoons in separated parallel relation, drums secured to and co-axial With the ponteons; cablesuponthe drums, and means carried by the superstructure for rotating the pontoons.

' In testimony whereof -r-amr my signature in "presence of two Witnesses.

WALTEH C. BEGKWVITH. Witnesses:

Gunmrmn BRAOKER, J. JAMEsoN:

ciiib'i'i bt tmr pmnv wnayibe abtaiixar'rar-gfiea eentm cn; by aaiii-easing the" cammrmncr or ram,

' I WHEIiingtix'i-IIJU? 

